That Summer
by PrettyInPinkGrl
Summary: Some tales of drama and love, and some cute moments taking place during the summer with Pacey and Joey on the True Love. A full-length story. Check it out. Plz r&r! ch 2 up!
1. Chapter One, It's about time

That Summer  
  
--The summer wind, came blowin' in - from across the sea/It lingered there, so warm and fair - to walk with me/All summer long, we sang a song - and strolled on golden sand/Two sweethearts, and the summer wind/Like painted kites, those days and nights - went flyin' by/The world was new, beneath a blue - umbrella sky-- ("Summer Wind" --Micheal Buble)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hey all! this is my new story called 'That Summer'. Its basically a short story-- or more like, a few short stories that took place during the summer that Joey and Pacey spent on the 'True Love'. I thought I'd write some nice fluffy, dramatic and maybe a teensy bit angsty stuff for you to enjoy that probably took place. It takes place in five parts, each story from that summer with a song title for a name (and song lyrics included in the story) that have to do with the individual story. So here are the titles;  
  
Chapter One-- It's about time, Chapter Two-- Promises, Chapter Three-- Girlfriend, Chapter Four--Anticipation, Chapter Five-- Help Me  
  
So, lol.. hopefully ya'll will like this story. Please please please reply, so I can have some encouragement! I would really appreciate it. Thank ya. Enjoy the first chapter! ~*Amanda  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, unless you dont recognize them, then I probably made them up. I also do not own Dawson's creek, even though I wish I did. lol.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter One: It's about time  
  
"I hate you, I love you/I just can't remember to forget you/Who are you, who needs you?/You make me feel alive, I die, so high/I'm crawling on the ground /I have found I can fly/One of these days it all comes together/One of those days that goes on forever/Think I sound crazy? Maybe, whatever/What's it all about?/It's about life, it's about fun/It's over before it has begun/It's about you, it's about me/It's about everything between and I say/I'm saying goodbye to you, I say hi to you with no clue/It's about time that I/Make up my mind /It's simple, confusing, the truth is I'm winning but I'm losing/And pulling and pushing, won't do me any good/It could, it should/I'm honest to myself that the truth is I lied /One of these days it all comes together/One of those days that goes on forever/Think I sound crazy? Maybe, whatever/What's it all about?/Time is creeping behind me, surrounding around me/Fading the words so desperately/Now give me a reason that I can believe in/Time is something you can't rewind/One of these days it all comes together/One of those days that goes on forever/Think I sound crazy? Maybe, whatever/What's it all about?" (It's about time by Lillix)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A breeze blew by her face so softly and tickled her nose. There was a fresh salty smell that reminded her of summer, more then anything else. All of a sudden she sat up with a start. Wait, where was she? This wasn't her room in the B&B.. all of a sudden it flashed in front of her eyes like a slideshow. She remembered. She remembered leaving Dawson back in Capeside and following her heart.  
  
With Pacey. Joey looked around for him, but didn't spot him anywhere. She got up from her blue polyester sleeping bag, which was placed by the window on the floor inside of the cabin. There was another sleeping bag a bit to the right of hers, which Joey figured must have been Pacey's. It certainly looked like someone had slept there, all messy and unkempt.. an extra blanket crumpled up on top of his green sleeping bag, and a flattened pillow lying several feet from it. Joey got up, and looking around for a change of clothes, remembered that she didn't have anything. She only had the clothes on her back.  
  
She let out a frustrated sigh, and went outside of the cabin to look for Pacey. It was a chilly morning, especially for summer, and Joey shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. She guessed it must have been around 8 o'clock.  
  
All of a sudden Joey heard a laugh coming from the front of the boat. She crept along, and spied around the corner of the cabin to see Pacey, with a grin from ear to ear, holding a nicely-sized fish, at the end of a hook.  
  
"You." he said, chuckling to himself, "Are one nice fish. One of the better ones I've caught, I should think. You look like a nice fellow, and you did put up a good fight, and while I would like to set you free, my girl Joey needs to be fed. So you see my dilemna, and now I must sacrifice you." he then laughed some more.  
  
Joey caught a laugh in her throat, but still ended up making a bit of a noise. Pacey quickly turned around to see her.  
  
"It's not nice to spy, Josephine." he grinned.  
  
Joey stepped out over to him, a coy smile on her face. "I wasn't spying, just observing. You seem awfully friendly with that fish."  
  
"He's a good pal of mine, Mac is."  
  
"Mac?!" Joey spat, now unable to hold her laughter. "You named your fish?"  
  
"Sure." Pacey grinned. "Whats wrong with that." he wiped off his hands on a cloth, and walked over to Joey, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
  
"I'm not even going to answer that." smirked Joey.  
  
"You look cute today." Pacey mumbled into her neck.  
  
Joey brushed his face away with a laugh and stepped out of his arms.  
  
"Are you kidding?" she asked. "I wore this yesterday.. in fact, I haven't changed since yesterday or showered for that matter."  
  
"You still look good to me." Pacey grinned.  
  
Joey rolled her eyes with a trademark crooked smile, and looked away.  
  
"So is that breakfast?" she asked after a minute.  
  
"You betcha." Pacey said, going into the cabin. Joey followed him. "And lunch-- and dinner for that matter--"  
  
"Pace." Joey stopped suddenly feeling not-so giddy. "You mean we're going to be on this boat without stopping for other food or clothing or anything for a whole day?"  
  
"Nah." Pacey laughed. "I was just playing with you. We'll be docked by dinner time. OK with you your highness?" he looked up, eyebrows raised.  
  
"Fine." Joey glared menacingly. "I do not know how I'm going to be able to stand being on a boat with you in the middle of water, with no escape for three whole months."  
  
"Oh you'll survive." Pacey said, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips.  
  
"No," Joey went on. "No I won't. Because you know what? This is doomed. Our whole relationship-on-a-boat thing is completely doomed."  
  
"How so?" Pacey said, amused.  
  
"Well, we'll argue one night, and you'll go off into a pub and meet some big-breasted bimbo, and have sex with her. Back on the boat, I'll drink myself drunk, and accidentily fall into the water almost dying. We'll decide that we still love each other, but the big-breasted bimbo turns out to be pregnant with your baby. So we are forever seperated."  
  
"Oh yeah." Pacey nods, pretending to seriously consider it. "Sounds good to me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go straighten up for that bimbo.. she seems like my kind of woman."  
  
"Great, and I'll get started on that drinking." Joey said, trying not to laugh.  
  
"Great." Pacey answered with a smirk.  
  
"Great."  
  
"Great."  
  
"Great."  
  
"Hey Jo?"  
  
"Hmm?" they were standing, closer and closer together, with every word spoken.  
  
"Can I kiss you now?"  
  
"Did you even have to ask?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The sun was starting to set as Joey and Pacey pulled into a port. The place was absolutely magical with tall white mansions along a cliff, and what looked like a small town right in front of them.  
  
"Wow," Joey commented breathlessly. "It's beautiful."  
  
"Yes it is." Pacey was working on lowering the anchor. "And so are you." he walked over to her, and pulled her in for a quick kiss.  
  
"You are way too charming for your own good, Witter."  
  
"I've been told that many a time." he grinned.  
  
"Ahem." said a voice from behind them. Pacey and Joey turned around, and seeing a middle-aged woman in a police uniform, quickly untangled themselves from their embrace.  
  
"Who might you two be?" she asked, looking at them with distaste.  
  
"Pacey Witter, ma'am." he said quickly, leaning forward to shake the woman's hand. "And this is my....girlf....well, uh...frie....um...this is Joey Potter." Pacey struggled over what to classify himself and Joey as. What were they anyhow?  
  
"Nice to meet you." Joey shook the lady's hand also with a large smile, and reaching behind her back pinched Pacey.  
  
"Ah!" Pacey yelped. The woman looked over at him, an eyebrow raised. "Ah, well.. what can I do the pleasure of your company? Any problems officer?"  
  
"No, no problems at all." she said, with a slight smile. "Just wondering what you two are doing here. It's my job to welcome newcomers in boats to town, and make sure they're not here for any...illegal.. activities. You two aren't are you?"  
  
"No." both Joey and Pacey said at the same time.  
  
The officer looked them over again suspiciously.  
  
"Well, alright then." she said. "Well, welcome to Riverbend. Hope to see you folks around for a while." She walked down the pier, and again stopped, and looked behind her at the two teenagers, again shaking her head and going along.  
  
"What a crazy lady." Pacey laughed.  
  
Joey elbowed him. "What was up with the whole stuttering over my name thing Pace? Now she's going to think you kidnapped me, and couldn't come up with a logical relationship for us to be together or something."  
  
"Well excuse me, Ms. Potter." Pacey said, as the walked along the docks. "I wasn't quite sure what we were. What would you consider us to be?"  
  
"Well, what would you consider us to be?" Joey asked.  
  
"I do not know I asked you first."  
  
"Then what would you like us to be?" Joey shot back.  
  
"What would YOU like us to be?" said Pacey.  
  
"I don't know." Joey admitted with a sigh. "Let's give it a bit of time, ok?"  
  
"Sounds good to me." Pacey grinned, putting his arm around her. "Now let's get going, and get you some clothes, and maybe some munchies for me. I am so hungry."  
  
"You're always hungry." Joey smirked, looking sideways at him.  
  
He was silent for a moment. "True." he said. "Very true. But that's beside the point."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Joey stared at her plastic one-sided menu, and thought for a moment. What would she like to eat? Well, certainly nothing with fish. Joey had ate enough fish for one day, and yet she still had a feeling that she would have to eat fish more during the summer with Pacey. A lot more.  
  
"What are you getting?" she asked Pacey, as she rubbed his bare calve with her foot under the table. He looked up at her, with an eyebrow raised.  
  
"Why, a cheese burger of course. You don't go to a greasy burger and fries place, and get a ceaser salad."  
  
"Funny." Joey glared at him. "And that wasn't what I was planning on. Maybe some mozzarella sticks if they had some, or a sandwhich of sorts. But a burger? It's so greasy Pacey!"  
  
"I know." he grinned, smacking some gum in his mouth. "Ain't it great."  
  
Before Joey got a chance to answer that, a stereotypical diner-lady with grey hair, in a cafeteria-green dress and an apron, came up beside them with a notepad and pen, and with no feeling in her voice, not even looking up said;  
  
"Can I get you anything."  
  
"I will have one of your famous cheeseburgers, and some delicious fries." Pacey said, giving Joey a sly look.  
  
"Anything to drink?"  
  
"A rootbeer please. And my girlfriend will have any kind of garden salad you have--"  
  
"We don't serve salads." the lady said with no tone to her voice, still not looking up from her notepad.  
  
"Then do you have any sandwiches?" Pacey asked with a smirk.  
  
"No sandwiches. Only whats on the menu."  
  
Joey looked down to see four choices. A burger, a cheeseburger, fries and onion rings.  
  
"I'll have a plain burger and an order of onion rings." she said slowly.  
  
"What to drink?" the lady asked.  
  
"Any sparkling beverages for the little lady?" Pacey asked, obviously amused. "Or perhaps some bottled water?"  
  
"No. Just soda."  
  
"Then I'll have a 7-up please." Joey mumbled, her eyes shooting daggers at Pacey.  
  
"Coming up." the lady mumbled walking away.  
  
"I hate you." Joey said, crossing her legs, and keeping them as far away from Pacey's legs under the table as possible.  
  
"What?" Pacey said, reaching out and rubbing his foot against her knee. "No you don't."  
  
"You are such a jerk."  
  
"No I'm not." Pacey mumbled, sensing that something was wrong. "Wanna go back to the boat after supper Joey?"  
  
"I guess." she said quietly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The rest of the walk back to the pier was in silence. Not that Pacey wanted it to be silent though. He had tried countless times to talk to her asking, "Nice weather we're having hey?" and "The stars are beautiful aren't they?" and occasionally, "The food was good right?" Joey would answer all these questions in a simple toneless "mmmm." Pacey was beginning to wonder if she had warped into the diner-lady.  
  
"So." he said, trying to get nearer to her.  
  
However, it was impossible without being bumped by the plastic k-mart bag Joey was swinging, right beside her.  
  
"Having a good time so far?"  
  
"Mmm." she answered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.  
  
Pacey suspected that she had purposely put the k-mart bag on the side that he was walking next to her on. It certainly looked that way, because everytime he switched sides, to try to walk beside her, the bag would travel to that side also.  
  
"Jo." Pacey tugged at her free hand, as they walked towards their boat. "Please don't be mad at me."  
  
"I'm not mad." Joey said quietly.  
  
"Yes you are!" Pacey exclaimed. "You've been cold with me since the whole diner incident. I'm sorry for teasing you or embarassing you."  
  
"It isn't that."  
  
"Then what is it?" he asked, as he sat down on the dock, letting his feet dangle over the edge.  
Joey sat down beside him. "I'm just wondering if this was such a good idea..."  
  
"What was?"  
  
"Us. Me coming with you. I don't know if it's working. Maybe I made a mistake in coming with you."  
  
"Well." Pacey croaked, looking away. "If thats the way you feel."  
  
"Pace." Joey took his hand. "I just don't want Dawson to get mad at me."  
  
"Dawson hmm?" Pacey spat. "Why does it keep coming back to that kid?"  
  
"Relax Pacey. Remember, I chose you."  
  
"Did you?" he asked. "Did you really, because it looks like your regretting this descision."  
  
"I don't know. Maybe I just need time to adjust."  
  
Pacey was silent, and looked away.  
  
"Pacey?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"I'm sorry. I was just feeling a little bit unsure. But I don't want Dawson, Pacey. I want you."  
  
He turned to look at her. "Really? Thats how you feel?"  
  
"Yes." Joey whispered. She touched the side of his face with the palm of her hand, and looked into his eyes. "I was wondering if--you know.. I could maybe call myself your girlfriend?"  
  
"What?!" Pacey straightened up startled. A smile broke onto his face. "Really? You mean it Jo? You want me to be your-- boyfriend???"  
  
"Yes. If you'll accept me."  
  
"I would be honoured." he grinned.  
  
Joey could help but smiling widely at his face. He looked so adorable, and happy. Leaning forward she kissed his forehead.  
  
"My boyfriend." she sighed, and snuggled into his chest.  
  
And Joey knew that now, there, in his arms was right where she wanted to be.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
End of the First chapter.  
  
Four more to go!  
  
I hope you guys enjoyed that. Please remember to reply!!  
  
Luv Amanda "My hopes are so high, that your kiss might kill me. So why don't you kiss me, so I die happy?" -- Dashboard Confessional  
  
In the next chapter..  
  
Entitled: Promises  
  
Pacey faces his insecurities about Dawson and Joey and Dawson's relationship, and wonders, as usual if he's good enough for her, or if he'll ever mean as much as Dawson meant to her. 


	2. Chapter Two, Promises

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all the nice replies. I really, really appreciated it, especially since I didn't expect it. My other PJ short fic only got one reply, so if you would, please go to it and reply!! Thanks, it's called; Again I go unnoticed. pweeese review?? So sorry, I havent updated for a while, I had such a busy easter long weekend, its crazy. I promise I'll get the next chapter after this one out by the end of the week.. in a few days maybe, depending on the amount of reviews.. =D So here's the next chapter, its a bit angsty, but the next chapter will be *tres* fluffy, so you'll enjoy that. I hope you like this one though, and please keep replying!!!! Enjoy! ~Amanda  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dawson's creek or any of the characters you recognize. The ones you don't recognize are probably mine.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Two: Promises  
  
"its been another day thinking what could have been/it gets so hard/but its not what it seems/what i wanted to be/did i try to hard/then i hoped for something much more /just before this youll have to/promise/we wont fall apart/promise/this right from the start/promise /on heaven that you won't make believe/yeah e yeah e yeah/promise /me/i dont understand what i did wrong/when the problem was you/what do i say/when everything is over/forget about you/then i hoped for something much more/just before this youll have to/promise/we wont fall apart/promise/this right from the start/promise /on heaven that you won't make believe/yeah e yeah e yeah/promise me/what will tomorrow bring when desiding the truth/it gets so hard/but its just a day/when everything went wrong/relying on you/thinking/what did i/searching /what to find /right now/as i say youll have to/promise/we wont fall apart/promise/this right from the start/promise /on heaven that you won't make believe/yeah e yeah e yeah/promise me/promise me..." -- Promises by Lillix  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The first morning of July was a beautiful one. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and cloudless, and the heat streak from the past few days was continuing as unbareably as ever.  
  
Today, the True Love was docked in the medium-sized costal town of Beachwood, where they had been staying for the past week and a half doing odd-jobs to make money. Pacey was working as a fisherman of sorts, and Joey was working at a local elementary school, taking care of kids who had no place to go during the summer while their parents worked. The pay wasn't great, but Joey refused to try anything to do with fishing, which she couldn't stand--especially having to eat fish every single day for the past month, and besides fishing, watching children was the only other job available. Fortunately, the fishing job payed pretty well considering, so Pacey and Joey had so far been able to scrape by-- add to that, Pacey was actually good at fishing, and liked it--something Joey couldn't comprehend-- so it worked out well for them. Surprisingly, this morning Joey was in a great mood. She awoke, her sleeping bag laying beside Pacey's.. and this morning, Pacey was still there... that was a change. She rolled over, and laid close to him, rubbing his side and playing with his hair. His eyelashes fluttered and smiling at her broadley, without a word, grabbed her, and snuggled her against his chest. They lay, face to face smiling at each other, their arms wrapped around each other for a few minutes, when Joey broke the silence.  
  
"What happened to work?"  
  
"I get the morning off with pay, since I was the one who brought in the most fish yesterday." he said, proudly.  
  
"Sounds good to me." Joey mumbled, snuggling closer, since she didn't have to be into work until 11. "What time is it?" she asked.  
  
Pacey checked his watch. "10... why?"  
  
"Dammit!" Joey got up with a start.  
  
"What?" he asked. "You have to be at work by 11!!"  
  
"I know, but I have things to do Pace. You understand." she pulled on a pair of jeans, and turning away, so her back was to Pacey, ripped off her t-shirt, and put on a spaghetti strap tank top.  
  
Joey turned back to Pacey who was pouting. Of course.  
  
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Joey exclaimed. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go. Dinner tonight right? Pick me up after work?"  
  
"Sure, sure." Pacey grumbled. "Can I have a kiss goodbye then?"  
  
"Sure can." Joey smiled, grabbing Pacey, by the arm and pulling him up. He looked so.. gorgeous in his wife-beater and blue plaid boxer shorts. Her physical attraction to him was undeniable. She wove her long arms around his neck, and his hands cupped her tiny waist, leaning forward they kissed.  
  
Magic and fireworks of course. It always felt like the first time.  
  
"Got to go." Joey said suddenly, the spell that was cast over her breaking. "Later." she called, running out the cabin door, and down the dock.  
  
Pacey watched her run, and chuckled to himself. He started to pick up the scattered clothes all over the boat, thinking to himself, 'How lucky am I, to have such a great girlfriend. She chose me-- the screwup, over Dawson, Mr. High-Achiever himself.' these thoughts cheered Pacey so much, that he began to hum as he plopped the dirty clothes into a large plastic basket him and Joey had purchased as a clothes hamper. This was like their little home, and he had to say that it was pretty cool that they we're living together, without any adults or other distractions--namely Dawson around. It helped build a strong foundation for their relationship. A foundation built with honesty, respect and trust-- wait. Pacey noticed a piece of paper lying on the ground, he picked it up figuring it was a flyer or something usless.  
  
But looking at it closer, Pacey noticed it was a letter in Joey's writing.  
  
To Dawson.  
  
It read: "Dear Dawson.  
  
I don't know what to say anymore. Pacey and I are together now, and you and I are not. It's hardly what I expected a year ago. If someone would have told me I'd leave you for Pacey then, I'd laugh. But I have no idea what's going on Dawson. I'm just following my intuition, and I have no idea where this whole thing with Pacey is going. As far as we know, it could just be a one-summer kind of thing, so I wouldn't worry. But I hope you'll be able to forgive me one day in the future, since I really do love you Dawson. I love you in a different way from anyone else. Remember that okay? Well I figure that you'll be too angry to talk to me, and I really didn't want to mess up and say the wrong thing, so I thought I'd write what im feeling in a letter and give it to you when I get back. Things are going good so far Dawson, and this thing with Pacey is--"  
  
Joey stopped there. She obviously hadn't got a chance to finish her letter.  
  
Pacey was speechless. If someone had told her a year ago that she'd be with him, she'd laugh? That hurt. And she thought that this was a one-summer kind of thing? He felt like it would be a lasting thing. Well obviously he was wrong. Well, maybe she hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him about her concerns from the letter. He'd give her a chance, and maybe she would.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was the Fourth of July-- Independence Day, and Pacey walked over to Hillcrest elementary school to pick up Joey from work (even though it was a holiday, parents still needed their children to be looked after, and Joey volunteered to work this day to make extra money) It had been three days and Joey hadn't mentioned or even hinted towards the letter, and Pacey hadn't had the courage to check to see if she had continued-- for the simple fact that he was afraid she'd say more hurtful things against him and their relationship. A sickening feeling prickled in Pacey's stomach, as he approached the building's door. He would have to mention the letter to Joey tonight-- their relationship was in risk, and he felt like he would burst if he kept it in any longer.  
  
"Hey you!" Joey lit up when she saw Pacey. He smiled weakly at her, but she didn't notice, as she threw her arms around her neck, and kissed his cheek. She motioned to a friend that was sitting in the school cafeteria alone at one of the tables, with a smile on her face. The girl approached them, and Joey presented her friend proudly to Pacey. "I haven't gotten a chance to introduce you to my friend Jill who works with me. So Pacey, this is Jill, and Jill this is my boyfriend Pacey."  
  
"Hi." Jill said shyly, as she reached over and shook Pacey's hand. "It's nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you."  
  
However, Pacey was still in a grim mood, and not really in the best of moods for an introduction-- at least not one that he had to be friendly for.  
  
"Likewise." he said, mustering up a smile, hoping that the wattage was great enough not to sway Joey's friend, who, he was sure, was very nice. "If you don't mind Jo, can we get going? We have reservations for five thirty."  
  
"Oh," Joey was caught off guard, as she noticed Pacey's grumpy demeanor. "Sure thing. Bye Jill. See you tomorrow."  
  
"See ya Joey. It was nice meeting you Pacey."  
  
"Bye." he grabbed Joey's hand and dragged her out of the school. Suddenly he was feeling very claustorphobic. "Whats wrong?" Joey asked, pulling her hand away from Pacey's tight grasp as soon as they were out of school. "Whats the matter with you?" she asked, more with concern then anger.  
  
"Nothing. I just kind of had a panic attack in there, like the walls were closing into me."  
  
"Oh, well.. maybe its anxiety from work or something. Is there anything I can do?" she reached out and touched his arm.  
  
"No!" he yelled. Joey looked taken aback at his outburst. "I mean, no thanks Joey. Please don't baby me."  
  
"Uh, okay then." Joey mumbled, feeling hurt. "Should we get going then?" she asked, after a second of silence.  
  
"Sure, sounds great." Pacey said quietly, feeling guilty for treating his girlfriend like crap. She did this to herself, he reminded himself. She should have talked to him about her problems in their relationship instead of penning them to Dawson. To Dawson! His rival for Joey's affections! Needless to say, this was making Pacey feel very insecure, just thinking about it. And when he felt insecure, he felt crabby.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Delcious dinner wasn't it?" Joey asked as they walked along the pier towards the 'True Love'.  
  
"Yeah." Pacey mumbled, looking down at his shoes.  
  
"Thanks for taking me there Pacey. I really appreciated it-- it was a nice change from fish don't you think?" she joked, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Yeah." Pacey said again.  
  
Pacey stepped onto their boat and went into the cabin to get a sweater, since it was getting a bit chilly out.  
  
"Hey, Pace?" Joey asked. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothings wrong." Pacey lied automatically.  
  
"There has to be!" Joey exclaimed, unable to contain her frustration any longer. "You've been cold and crabby all day-- you rushed out after meeting my friend, you won't let me touch you, you barely spoke a word during dinner, and the past few days you've looked like there was somewhere you'd rather be! So what is it Pacey?! Am I getting too boring for you?!"  
  
"That's not it." Pacey said, looking away from Joey's face. He couldn't stand to see her upset.  
  
And it was true that Joey looked upset. She looked like she was about to cry as a matter of fact.  
  
"Then what IS it Pace?! IS there somewhere you'd like to be? Are you cheating on me or something?"  
  
"What?!" Pacey spun around. He was flabergasted at Joey's accusation. "C-Cheating?! No! You thought I was CHEATING on you?!"  
  
"Then what is it then?"  
  
"You want to know what's wrong?" Pacey snapped. "You REALLY want to know whats wrong?" he continued yelling.  
  
Joey just nodded, her chin trembling.  
  
Pacey picked up a piece of paper off of the floor and flashed it in front of Joey's face.  
  
"This LETTER is what's wrong! A letter to Dawson! You know what it says on it Joey?! It basically says how you didn't expect to be with me, since I'm such a huge loser, and that you only expect our relationship to last for the rest of the summer, anyways. And how 'special' your relationship with Dawson is, and how you love him differently from anyone else. Well you KNOW WHAT JOEY?! Why couldn't you just tell me these things to my face?! Why aren't you with Dawson since you feel so strongly about your 'connection'."  
  
Joey grabbed the letter from Pacey. "You read the letter?" she asked, unable to believe her ears. "YOU READ MY PERSONAL PRIVATE LETTER?!" she exploded.  
  
"Well, it was just lying there Jo, for anyone to pick up and read."  
  
"Well as my BOYFRIEND you should know that it was private, and if I wanted you to read it, I would have shown it to you."  
  
"Oh yeah, obviously you didn't want me to know what you were feeling, cause that--stuff in Dawson's letter-- you've never told me. How do you expect us to have an honest relationship if you don't tell me anything?!"  
  
"How do YOU expect us to have an honest relationship if you don't respect my privacy?! This isn't about what's in the letter Pacey, it's about how you went behind my back and read it without my permission!"  
  
"You know what?!" Pacey exclaimed. "I've had it! Had it up to HERE! I'm out of here.. find me if you want to talk about the real issues."  
  
And with that, he stomped out, leaving Joey clutching the letter, tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Pacey sat on the edge of a dock on the beach, by some summer houses with his feet dangling into the cool water. He had been sitting here for almost two hours, hoping that Joey would come to find him, and apologize and then everything would be alright. But obviously she didn't care, because she had yet to show. He was just about to get up when he heard a voice behind him.  
  
"Hey you."  
  
Without turning around Pacey knew it was Joey. "Can I join you?" she asked, sounding calmer then when Pacey had left.  
  
"Pull up a dock." Pacey mumbled.  
  
"I wanted to give this to you." Joey said, handing Pacey a folded piece of paper.  
  
He opened it up to see the letter Joey had written to Dawson.  
  
"I don't want to see this." he said with disgust, trying to give her back the letter.  
  
"No, I finished it. Read it, please."  
  
Sighing, Pacey unfolded it, and with closer inspection saw that Joey had indeed finished it. He took a deep breath, and started to read from the beginning again.  
  
It read: "Dear Dawson.  
  
I don't know what to say anymore. Pacey and I are together now, and you and I are not. It's hardly what I expected a year ago. If someone would have told me I'd leave you for Pacey, I'd laugh. But I have no idea what's going on Dawson. I'm just following my intuition, and I have no idea where this whole thing with Pacey is going. As far as we know, it could just be a one- summer kind of thing, so I wouldn't worry. But I hope you'll be able to forgive me one day in the future, since I really do love you Dawson. I love you in a different way from anyone else. Remember that okay? Well I figure that you'll be too angry to talk to me, and I really didn't want to mess up and say the wrong thing, so I thought I'd write what im feeling in a letter and give it to you when I get back. Things are going good so far Dawson, and this thing with Pacey is weird. Really weird. But in a nice way. I know I can tell you this because you're my best friend, and I probably won't end up even sending this to you so it doesn't matter what I say. I feel this connection with Pacey that I've never felt before with anyone. Even you. With him, it's like it doesn't matter what we do, we still have so much fun together, and I care about him so deeply. Actually, scratch that thing I said before about the one-summer relationship. I think it might last for a while, to tell you the truth. Hey, Dawson... maybe I shouldn't be telling you this, but I had to say it to someone. I think I may be falling in love with Pacey. And it scares me.. but in a good way. Like riding your favourite rollercoaster, or going on stage. It's this amazing rush of adrineline.. and I never want it to end. I hope it won't, at least. Well, time to go spend time with my boyfriend. See you.  
  
Love always, Joey."  
  
Pacey looked up from it, a smile widening on his face.  
  
"I'm sorry." Joey said hopefully, looking into his big blue eyes.  
  
"No, I'm sorry Jo." Pacey said with a sigh. "I should have never looked at that letter."  
  
"It's fine... I'm over it. Let's just agree to be honest with each other from now on."  
  
"Sounds good to me." Pacey grinned.  
  
He leaned over, and brushed his fingers over the warm, soft skin on her face. She smiled shyly and kissed him slowly and softly at first, but then brought her hand over behind the back of his neck, and pushed his face closer to hers, and then they were kissing.  
  
Who knows for how long.  
  
The funny thing is sometime in the midst of their kisses the 4th of July fireworks started going off above their heads.  
  
Corny, but true.  
  
They looked up and laughed at the fireworks, lighting their faces in multi- colours.  
  
"I feel like we're in a movie." Joey laughed. Pacey chuckled, and stopped watching the fireworks for a minute. Instead he watched Joey, as she looked up into the sky, a soft summer wind blowing locks of her glossy brown hair, her eyes twinkling, and a smile spread across her face.  
  
He was entranced.  
  
Joey caught him looking at her, and blushed.  
  
"What?" she asked nervously.  
  
"Did you mean what you said in the letter?" Pacey asked hopefully.  
  
Joey shot him a coy secret smile.  
  
"Every word."  
  
"Well then," Pacey picked up the letter... "are you even going to send this to Dawson? I mean, it might break the poor fellow's heart."  
  
"Oh yeah, like you'd be crushed by that." Joey laughed. She snatched the letter from Pacey. "Nah, I never planned on sending it to him anyways."  
  
"What are you going to do with it then?" Pacey asked.  
  
"This." Joey dropped the cursed letter into the ocean.  
  
Pacey and Joey laughed, as they watched the paper float away somewhere deep in the depths of the ocean. Their words dissapearing, but the meaning remaining.  
  
They had soaked themselves into the mindset and memory of a couple, back on the dock. And there they would stay forever.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hope you guys liked! Please please remember to reply, and check out my other story. Toodles! ~Amanda  
  
"So why do we choose the boys that are naughty?/ I don't fit in so why do you want me?/I can't help it, you're my kinda man/ Why do the good girls always want the bad boys?" -- 'Bathwater' by No Doubt (a kick ass song)  
  
Next chapter: 'Girlfriend'-- Pacey surprises Joey with a romantic day full of fun and lots of cute fluffy romance. 


End file.
